Costa Rica is a chameleon, with a different shade to match every visitor.

For my son, Carter, that color is green.

We had already visited on several occasions, but on every previous trip, we’d stayed on the northwestern coast, at the height of Costa Rica’s dry season (about mid-November through mid-May): a world defined by vivid hues of blue and every shade of sun-kissed – in other words, a golden tapestry embroidered in cinnamon sands and gilded hillsides.

Carter wanted green, in every shade of lush. Emerald, beryl, jade, chartreuse, and all the synonyms in between. And so, as he completed his freshman year of high school, we planned our escape to green – and, as it turned out, to an incredible opportunity for mother-son bonding, high adventure, and new dreams.

Something I’ve come to learn about Costa Rica: It looks deceptively small on a map. When you’re there, everything seems bigger than life itself.

At 19,700 sq mi (51,100 km2), Costa Rica is smaller than the state of West Virginia. And yet here, you’ll find a biodiverse smorgasbord that swings from active volcanoes to rushing rivers, from dense rain forest to rare tropical dry forest, from coffee highlands to fog-drenched mountaintop, from… well, you get the picture: Costa Rica is vast, if not in size then in scope.

Factor in mediocre infrastructure – in all fairness, the country can get multiple inches of rain a day, every day, for months, so it can be difficult to maintain country roads in good repair! – and it can easily take a day’s travel to get from some Points A to other Points B.

With that in mind, it’s always good to start with a plan. Don’t get overly ambitious. Read a travel guide. Surf the internet. Speak with a travel agent. However you go about it, narrow down either 1) where (specifically) you’d like to go, ex. to Tamarindo, Monteverde, and Arenal; or 2) what experiences you’d like to prioritize, ex. surfing, cloud forests, and active volcanoes.

For me and Carter, it was green. Green, with a bit of blue and many experiences in the mix…

When you say you want lush, there are few better choices than Costa Rica’s Monteverde – literally, the “Green Hill” or “Green Forest,” depending on your preferred translation. Either way, you’ll be getting green-ed.

We flew into Liberia’s Guanacaste Airport (code: LIR) – a great choice, if you want to avoid the crowds and traffic of the San José International Airport (code: SJO), which is located in the middle of the country – and were immediately whisked away to Monteverde.

No car. No grand plans. Just two travelers, ready to greet whatever awaited.

Turns out, what awaited was incredible.

We stayed at Senda Monteverde for two nights. It was March and the winds were whipping through; at times, they roared like a tornado. (No tornado but we did lose two hats!) With no car, we walked into the town. We reveled. We observed. We stood in awe.

One day, we took a tour to the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Nestled within the Cordillera de Tilaran mountain range, this private reserve is one of the most famous in the country, extending over 25,900 acres (10,500 hectares), almost 90% of which is pristine virgin forest.

Carter lit up. Monteverde is home to an astonishing array of biodiversity – to the tune of 400+ bird species and 2,500+ plant species, including one of the world’s most densely populated orchid habitats – and it turned out, this was exactly what he had been seeking.

We spotted a male resplendent quetzal. We hiked through an absolute rainbow of green (you’d be surprised at how many different iterations there can be of this “single” color!). And there were hummingbirds everywhere. Perfection.

Sometimes, the hand of fate drops you into just the right circumstances.

After Monteverde, our Atlanta-based travel agent, Ann Short, had routed us to Arenal – technically, the town of La Fortuna, although many people simply refer to the entire area as Arenal, in deference to the imposing Arenal Volcano, a quiet but striking presence that presides over town and countryside.

We hadn’t asked where we would stay. We didn’t know whether we’d be headed somewhere rustic or very nice… “Nayara Tented Camp” was all we had to go on.

Dumbfounded barely scratches the surface. This was one of the most incredible places we had ever been. The truest embodiment of eco-luxury I know to exist, the property promises a close connection with nature and an immersive experience in upscale tents with modern amenities, including air conditioning, private bathrooms, and outdoor showers. Our tent (and I use that term very loosely) even had a private hot springs-fed plunge pool!

While in Arenal, we went fishing on Lake Arenal with a local guide on a bass boat. Never had I ever fished with an active volcano as my backdrop… And, while it was rainy (and we forgot our raincoats), and though we didn’t catch anything (because of the weather), it was truly an experience. It rained and we draped ourselves in tarps. We cruised. And we made memories. And later that afternoon, we took a dip in the resort’s hot spring pools. Bliss!

The next day was one we’ll never forget. It began with waterfall rappelling, which is probably exactly what it sounds like: Grab a helmet, a harness, and some thick gloves, and ready yourself for some heart-pounding fun. Neither Carter nor I had ever rappelled before, but we made it down every waterfall – including the final, 200-foot Big Daddy!

Next, we geared up for whitewater rafting on the Río Balsa, or Balsa River (class II-III). It was just challenging enough for exhilaration, while calm enough in spots to afford sightseeing. By that, I mean monkeys!

And, because we hadn’t packed enough excitement into the day, that night, we did a night tour; our local guide was the highlight of Carter’s trip. With just a flashlight and our eagle eyes to guide us, we glimpsed a glass frog, poison dart frog, red-eyed tree frogs, an eyelash pit viper, a huge spider of unidentified nomenclature, a moth with eyes, and so much more. The evening was an absolute highlight, not only of our trip but of our life experiences!

While our two days at Arenal were jam-packed with adventure and excitement, the most precious part of the experience was spending time with Carter.

When our kids are young, we experience so much newness through their eyes. As they get older, though, those opportunities become fewer and far between, both because there are fewer firsts as we age and because our growing children begin craving those experiences with friends, rather than with Mom.

Costa Rica was something that Carter wanted to experience with me. I cherished experiencing it with him. To this day, we still reminisce about the hot springs. About our tent camp. And Carter still hasn’t stopped talking about the food…

It was the perfect midpoint for our mother-son trip.

There’s something special about Tamarindo. Located on the northwestern coast – yes, we made our way back there! – it’s both a city but not, at once a sandy surf town and yet, sophisticated in a beachy sort of way. We love it.

And so, we thought that Tamarindo would be the perfect end to our trip. A day of surfing, just the two of us. Great food. And plenty of relaxation.

Turns out, we were right. We went surfing. We ate the food. And we watched as our neighbors – a wedding party – trashed their formal attire with a jump into the pool. They also threw in a private fireworks show right in front of us, much to our delight!

We also went fishing. Tamarindo is the place for fishing. Tuna, mahi mahi (locally known as dorado), marlin (black, striped, and blue), sailfish – they are all here in droves, for many months of the year. The fishing in Tamarindo is world-class, which eventually inspired me to start OSG Charter… but that’s another story for another day!

That day, we caught mahi-mahi, which we took to Chiringuitos, a local beachfront restaurant that will cook your catch. Is there anything better than blackened mahi-mahi, served oceanside at sunset? I can’t think of many!

It’s interesting to compare starting points and end points – to see where life leads you.

Carter and I took this trip in early 2021. Even a few months prior, it had seemed like a pipe dream. 2020 was not the year for international travel… or for much of anything else, for that matter.

I suppose it had been a year for family bonding around the world. Like it or not, you were spending time together! Luckily, I love spending time with my kids.

Regardless, this trip would have been impossible just a year prior. So, while Costa Rica hadn’t been our long-term plan, Carter and I had always planned to be open to opportunity. And so, as 2021 rolled around and the world opened up, we said “yes.” Yes to Costa Rica. Yes to mother-son bonding. Yes to finally celebrating the start of high school.

As I look back on these memories, I catch glimpses of green and blue. I feel exhilaration pipe through my veins. But mostly, I see my son, as he realized his dreams.

As a mother, I am often observing my children as they observe the world. And I’ve learned, through their lifetimes of incredible experiences, that seeing the world through your child’s eyes allows us a rare second chance. A second opportunity for firsts.

I appreciate that opportunity. I am so grateful to have had this one-on-one time with Carter, in his hue of Costa Rica. These are moments and memories that we will carry with us forever. And I hope, with just a little inspiration from this post, that you may take the leap and plan your own trip into opportunity.

Speaking of, Costa Rica awakened me to other opportunities, as well.

As I go about life, a question often pops into my head: Should I just simply enjoy the moment? Is this moment meant to just be a memory? Or has it sparked something more permanent?

One of my goals is to find that fine line between enjoying the moment versus recognizing sparks of inspiration. Maybe a moment should live in my mind. Maybe I don’t need to pull out my camera or my notebook. Maybe all I need to remember is my son’s genuine smile and look of wonder. Or maybe there’s something here, something I should really take note of…

All of these options are weighed before I pull out my camera, before I follow my inspirations. During my trip, I weighed my options. I lived in the moment. And then, I let myself dream.

Storytime: When I was younger, I took walks with my grandmother. She would point out the leaves, flowers, sky, and the birds. She acknowledged every beautiful thing in nature, as we passed by the luscious plants. She lived by this principle and was full of joy. In my mind, nature is God’s art, and nature is the natural expression of the universe.

She once said to me, “Life is too short to be upset or angry.” I agree. I’d add that life is also too short not to follow your dreams.

Years ago, Costa Rica sparked in me a dream. I followed it. I went out on a limb and purchased an older boat named Sassy Girl and shipped it to Costa Rica. Next, I started OSG Charter, a premium charter boat experience out of the state-of-the-art Flamingo Marina (Slip E-12) – not far up the coast from Tamarindo! I also purchased Boho Tamarindo, a boutique bed-and-breakfast and vacation rental experience. More is in the works. All this, in part, because I dared to say “yes.”

Over the years, the challenges, and the successes, I’ve learned that, sometimes, our next greatest adventure depends simply on whether we have the courage to say “yes.” Yes, I can. Yes, let’s go! Yes, Laura. Make the leap!

So now, I ask: What will be your next “yes”?